January 2, 2013

New Backyard Patio and Fire pit

This project has been on my list for about 2 years now. I have a tough time following through on projects this big. It’s so hard to choose a contractor and spending this much money just makes me nervous. However, our deck is falling apart and we need to redo the landing and steps. We’re planning to change it up a little bit but needed the patio finished first so we have a landing pad for the new stairs.
Here’s what the backyard used to look like . . . . .
And here’s what it looks like now

wait for it . . . .

wait for it . . . .

I promise it’s awesome . . . .

A birds eye view . . . .
We decided to go with stamped concrete. It looks great now but the process was not fun!

We didn’t like most of the fire pit kits so we looked around and found one that had some style to it with the different sizes and shapes of blocks. We purchased the blocks and assembled it ourselves. It also comes with an optional cover and grill (extra $$ of course),

We also had a little trouble with the wall. Our contractor delivered blocks that didn’t match so we had to send them back. We decided to purchase the wall blocks from the same supplier as the fire pit and just install that part ourselves. I love the different sizes and shapes of the vintage tumbled blocks.

Then it was up to the contractors. They dug and leveled the ground.
They framed it out.
They filled it with rock and rebar. (We also added two layers of the fire pit blocks that evening so they could pour around it)
The concrete came in next. We chose a medium brown color in an attempt to match the wall and fire pit color. They poured the color right in the hopper when the concrete truck showed up and then used a jitterbug to drive it around to the backyard. Once it was poured and leveled they got out the stamps and got to work on the pattern. We chose English Ashler to match the random shapes and sizes of the tumbled blocks in the wall and fire pit. The stamping part was messy! They have to throw two release colors down to the stamps don’t stick. It’s an oil based powder. We choose two darker brown shades.

This was a Friday so the powder stayed on all weekend. They came back Monday and scrubbed it clean and then sealed it. We’ll have to reseal it about every two years or so.

I love the colors we chose. They’re perfect for the wall and fire pit. There are a few areas in the stamping I’m not thrilled with where the stamps slid and there are a few “cracks” that aren’t great but once we have furniture on it and landscape I’m hoping no one (but me) will notice those areas. I’m sure we’ll get tons of use out of it. We’ve already had one fire so far. My ultimate goal is to get an LCD projector we we can hang out around the fire pit and watch a movie projected on the back of the house or on a screen.
Here’s one more before and after shot

Since it’s already Dec we’re probably going to have to put of the deck makeover until next Spring. I’ll keep you posted . . . .

Your patio looks awesome and I really find it a perfect place to relax with your family and friends. Well, you can party anytime you want with the fire pit that you have there. BBQ and cold beer would totally make your night fun and interesting! :D

My name is Denise and I'm a DIY addict. I generally have about 4 projects going at a time. I love anything DIY ~ sewing, scrapbooking, building, crafting ~ you name it, I'll try it. I do as much of this as possible . . . . in between playing with my two little ones . . . . and occasionally cooking and cleaning my house. :)